Mapping Östlund’s Sociology in Contemporary European Cinema

The films with which Ruben Östlund became one of the most renowned European filmmakers are quickly recognized by their long, static shots that usually leave the impression of artistic remoteness and neutrality. This way, the scenes often function as social experiment videos made to question the social conventions and relations that are usually taken for granted. In Involuntary (De Ofrivilliga, 2008), this approach takes the form of a general sampling of social dynamics, in Force Majeure (2014), it takes the direction of analysing the contemporary Western understanding of gender roles and, in The Square (2017), it appears as an insight into the Swedish liberal ideals through the ridiculing of the world of high art. Even though he has developed his own distinct directing vision, the exposing of bourgeois vanity often recalls directors such as Buñuel, while, in modern-day European cinema, his work bears resemblance to the humorous social commentary of the German director Maren Ade and at the same time evokes the violent voyeuristic style of Michael Haneke.

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